Episode 3 – Want to get along

…….., are you trying to talk back to me?

What is that way of talking back to your parents?

I don’t want your opinion. Shut up and do as I say.

You’re a …… kid.

“……………………”

It was the worst wake-up call I’ve ever had.

I looked at the ceiling of my room and finally realized that it had all been a dream.

I was still a child of those two, a time I never want to remember again.

“Phew ……”

I let out a heavy breath and sat up.

A ray of light enters through the gap in the closed curtains.

The morning came again today.

“……Arara, Good morning, Toru kun.”

When I went to the living room, the lady greeted me as she put breakfast on the table.

She was a plump person with round, kind eyes.

“Breakfast is already ready. Are you ready too?”

“Thank you, Auntie.”

I bowed lightly and took my seat. Today’s breakfast consisted of rice, miso soup with shiitake mushrooms and tofu, and stir-fried meat and vegetables left over from last night’s meal.

After clasping my hands together and saying a small “Itadakimasu,” I ate aunt’s breakfast.

“Aaah! Oh, no, no, no!”

At that moment, my uncle came out of the bedroom in a hurry. He was wearing a tie and blinking sleepily.

“Good morning, uncle. You look very flustered.”

“Good morning, Toru-kun! I forgot that I had an appointment with someone earlier today! I accidentally fell asleep until this late!”

“I see. ……”

“Well, I’m sorry, Toru kun! Have you seen my glasses anywhere? I’ve been looking for them for a while now, but I can’t seem to find them. ……”

“……? If you’re looking for glasses, uncle is wearing them right now.”

“Eh?”

When he said that, he touched his temple area. He noticed that the frame of his glasses hit his fingertips, and he sighed and laughed.

“Really ……! If you’re close by, then the glasses should have said a word to me too!”

“Fufu, yes.”

With a humorous whine, uncle had safely finished putting on his tie and put on his jacket.

“Shuji-san, what would you like for breakfast?”

Auntie called his name from the kitchen.

“Ummm, I’ll just have a bowl of miso soup then!”

Aunt poured some miso soup into a bowl and handed it to uncle. Uncle took it and gulped it down in one gulp.

“Well! It was delicious! I’m sorry, I’m off then!”

“Have a good trip, Shuji-san.”

“Take care, Uncle.”

He waved his hand to us and left the house with a thump.

“Well, Toru kun. Are you going to school soon?”

“Yes.”

“Here you go. Here’s today’s lunch.”

After receiving the lunch box from Auint, I said, “Thank you very much.”

“……, Toru-kun.”

“Yes? What is it, auntie?”

“You don’t have to speak so politely anymore, do you?”

“……………………”

“Now that you’re a family member here, you don’t have to be a stranger, okay?”

“……………………”

Aunt’s kindly eyes are directed straight at me. I turned away, trying to get away from it.

“Thank…., Auntie. But I just can’t seem to get out of the …… habit yet. I hope to change it little by little from now on.”

“Yeah, okay.”

Aunt’s voice was really just kind. I was sorry for that and …… no matter how, I felt like my heart was going to burst.

“Phuwaa. …….”

I was in the counseling department, inside the department room. I was lying there, looking up at the ceiling.

In the distance, I could faintly hear the baseball team practicing.

Aunt and uncle…… are the kindest couple I can picture. They took me in so easily and I can tell that they are raising me with love and care.

That’s why I always feel …… sorry for them.

Is it okay for me to be loved this much? It makes me feel like that. If I told them about this, I’m sure they would look sad. I don’t want those two to feel that way.

“…… nn, ku~……!”

I lay down and stretched my shoulders up.

“Ah…If no one comes, this club activity will be too boring…”

Just as I was muttering to myself, there was a knock on the clubroom door.

“Yees, come in~”

I raised my upper body and looked towards the door. The one who slowly opened the door and came in was Nishida-san. She looked into the clubroom with a heavy bag on her shoulder.

“…… Nakahara-kun, sorry for disturbing you.”

“Hi, Nishida-san.”

“Umm….I came to give…… comic book.”

“Ah! Thank you, thank you!”

Nishida-san smiled a little and came over to me timidly. She went up to the flooring and sat down on a cushion.

It has been exactly one week today since she first came here. During that time, I feel like I’ve gotten to know her pretty well. She visits me here every day, and we always have a good chat.

Today, she was sitting on her legs, which she usually does sitting on the floor, but she was sitting on the floor in what is called a girl’s seat. It may have been a small change, but it made me very happy.

“T-thank you, Nakahara-kun. For lending me your manga …….”

She said and put the manga on the table.

“How was it? Nishida-san.”

“Yes, it was very …… interesting.”

“Really? That’s good! Do you have a favorite scene?”

“Well, …… in the Arabian past, the scene where he visits the grave of his dead girlfriend, I …… cried.”

“Oh! I cried too. …… I cried at that scene too.”

“Yes, Arabia is a character who doesn’t always cry, so when I see him crying, it touches my heart even more.”

“I know, I know. It’s the gap between him and the other characters.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

As usual, she and I had a good time talking about manga.

Nishida-san’s expression seems softer than when I first met her. She seems to be smiling more …… without a trace of her mind.

“Nishida-san, you read it so quickly. You could have borrowed more.”

“I-I can’t borrow someone else’s …… for that long.”

“I-I see.”

I took the manga from her and put it in my bag, thinking that Nishida-san is very conscientious.

“Um, …… Nakahara-kun.”

“Yes?”

“…………………….”

“……? What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Uh, you know? If you like, Nakahara-kun….”

Knock-knock.

At that moment, there was another knock on the clubroom door. I answered it by saying, “Yes~” and the door quietly opened. On the other side of the door stood a strange male student.

“Um, …… this is the counseling department, right?”

“Yes, it is.”

“‘Counseling’ means …… anything?”

“Of course, of course, of course, anything.”

“Uh, can I …… for a minute?”

“Uh, um, I’m kind of in the middle of something right now, so if you’ll just give me a minute……”

As I was about to say this to him, Nishida-san stood up quickly.

“Um, Nakahara-kun. I’ll be leaving. ……”

“What? Is that okay? Earlier, Nishida-san, you were about to say something …….”

“It’s not a big deal, so …… it’s okay.”

“Is it?”

“Yes.”

“Sorry, Nishida-san, I made you feel uncomfortable.”

“No problem. See you tomorrow.”

“Yes, see you tomorrow.”

When I said that, Nishida-san smiled a little again. Then she hurriedly left the clubroom.

Sometimes, there are people who come to the counseling department to ask for help. When that happens, Nishida-san is always very considerate and leaves the clubroom. I feel a little sorry for her, because I feel as if I am always kicking her out.

(And even so, what was it that she wanted to say?)

“Um, Excuse me. Where should I sit?”

At that moment, I was approached by a male student who had just entered.

“Uh, um, if you could sit in front of me or something.”

“Yes.”

He sat down on the cushion and immediately started talking to me about what he wanted to discuss.

“Um, can I do a love thing?”

“Yes, what’s wrong?”

“Well, I’m in love with someone right now, and I’m wondering how I should confess my feelings to her. ……”

“Oh, a confession.”

“Well, I don’t think it would be right to ask her out via Lime or e-mail, but …… honestly, I’m a little embarrassed to tell her face to face.”

“Hmm, I see. ……”

——————————————————

…… I left the clubroom and went home alone because someone had come to the counseling department.

“…… I’m home.”

I unlock the door and enter the empty house. I take off my shoes at the front door and silently walk to the back of the quiet house to my room.

In this house, even the creaking sound of the floor is noisy.

“…… Haa.”

I went into my room and lay down on my bed in my school uniform. The bed creaked slightly under my weight, but the sound was light, indicating that I didn’t weigh that much.

……It had been another hard day. I didn’t quite fit in with my class, and only a sense of alienation and loneliness clung to me.

When I finish, I lie in bed like this and sleep like dead. Such are the days …….

“……………………”

But recently, thanks to Nakahara-kun, going to school has become less and less of a chore.

To be more honest, I go to school partly because of Nakahara-kun. After school, I drop by the counseling department and have a chat with Nakahara-kun ……. That alone makes me feel glad that I made the effort to come to school today.

“Nakahara-kun…….”

I picked up my phone and opened the Lime app.

“…… didn’t get to ask you today either, contact information.”

Yes, it was Lime’s contact information that I was going to ask Nakahara-kun before the counselor came to the counseling department.

With Lime, we can chat a lot outside of the counseling department. That’s why I want it. …… but I don’t know how to tell him.

I tried to come up with a reason, and I came up with a few reasons. I thought of several reasons: “Because I want to send you the PV of my favorite anime,” “Because I want to send you the URL of my favorite web manga,” and so on. But honestly, I thought that it would seem like I should just tell …… right then and there, so I ended up not giving a reason.

On the other hand, if I were to directly ask for Lime’s contact information, that would be too embarrassing ……. I couldn’t find the courage to do it again today, and it ended without any result.

“Haaa…….”

With a small sigh, I closed the Lime app.

“……………………”

Oh, by the way, Nakahara-kun, do you have a girlfriend or ……?

If he does, it’s not good …… for me to want Lime’s contact information, right? I feel bad for her, and I’m sure Nakahara-kun would be embarrassed too.

Oh, I’m such an idiot. I’m thinking only about myself and can’t put myself in Nakahara-kun’s shoes. ……

I’m on the verge of having a good relationship with him, and I don’t want to break …… this relationship.

I’ve never had confidence in my ability to be friends with anyone since I was betrayed by senpai, but with Nakahara-kun, I might be able to …… believe in him.

Nakahara kun’s girlfriend, I do not say such a luxury. I just want to be close to …… him as a friend who I can trust with my heart.

“……………………”

I buried my face in my pillow and let my vision go completely dark.

Somewhere in the distance, I heard the faint cawing of a crow.

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